Kevin McGinty has been named as the government's preferred candidate to succeed Michael Fuller as chief inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service.
McGinty, current deputy legal secretary at the attorney general’s office, previously worked in the fraud division of the CPS after six years at the criminal bar. He will now be responsible for inspecting the work of prosecuting authorities.
On his appointment, McGinty said he was "delighted to have been selected as the Attorney General’s preferred candidate for the role".
He added: "I want to maintain public confidence in the criminal justice system by leading an independent, fair and transparent inspectorate.
"The work of HCMPSI is crucial to uphold the quality of our criminal justice system and I am looking forward to working with the team to continue delivering high quality inspection programmes.”
The new candidate will now appear before MPs on the justice select committee for a pre-appointment hearing. McGinty succeeds current chief inspector Michael Fuller, who is at the end of a five-year term.